PHILIP STOFBERG
For the duration of the nine-week FNB Varsity Cup rugby tournament, the Varsity Cup Pink Campaign aimed to raise funds and awareness against women abuse. The charity has been running for three years and the University of Pretoria has contributed the largest amount of money donated for each year.
In an effort to defend this title, UP urged residences to participate in the campaign this year. When Perdeby enquired about this, it was revealed that some residences weren’t aware of this initiative. “[TuksRugby] didn’t contact or approach us in the matter”, said Madelief Primaria Natasha Swanepoel when asked whether their residence took part in raising funds. “This is the first I am hearing about [the fundraising]” was the response from Boekenhout chairperson Marco Koch.
In an interview with Perdeby, TuksRugby’s Neels Grobler, who is in charge of the Pink Campaign, said, “We only have access to talk to the Sport HK from the residences.” Grobler added that most Sport HKs attended a meeting where TuksRugby told them about the Varsity Cup Pink Campaign and the initiative to involve the residences.
Even without all residences participating in fundraising, UP again
managed to raise more money than the other universities that took part in the Pink Campaign. UP sponsored Mercy House, a transitional house for women who have been abused, and raised around R85 000 for their needs. The money raised for the house will be used to buy much-needed products and fund activities for the women to participate in.
This year R302 800 was raised through the different aspects of the Varsity Cup Pink Campaign to help women in distress all over South Africa.
Image: www.varsitycup.co.za
